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Teckla

Teckla

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The Pain I Love You For
Review: Reading Teckla was agony the first time, seeing our hero brought so low in his own eyes with very little in the way of redemption granted him, other than survival. I was furious with Cawti for her betrayal, and wanted to see Kelly, that Jacobin-in-embryo, made to eat the garbage that he was flinging around. At the same time, I gave Brust huge bonus points for having the courage to write it. Now, with Phoenix, Athyra, and Issola under my belt, I am inclined to be more charitable to the original story. In these books, Vlad seems to be dying to be reborn as something greater, which the end of Issola leads us to believe will happen. I still loathe Kelly and the guillotines he would doubtless build and doubtless justify (they always do), but I admire Brust all the more for taking an easily written franchise and taking it on the road less travelled.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great book that only has a few flaws
Review: Teckla is undoubtedly one of Brust's best works. This takes place chronologically after Jhereg but before Phoenix. Another Jhereg mob-boss, Herth, challenges Vlad. In the midst of this, a Teckla revolt has started and Vlad's wife is involved. Vlad has to deal with a crumbling marriage and keeping himself and his wife alive throughout both the revolt and the war. There's a lot of suspense packed into this one. I mean there are parts when you think something's going to happen and then a completely unexpected, but logical, thing happens. A lot of Vlad's feelings and observations are written quite well without confusion. (i.e. any of the arguments that he and Cawti have throughout the book) So why not give this five stars? Simple. Vlad's life start to head downhill from the beginning of the story and only slightly picking up in the end. Even then, later in the series it falls a bit more until Issola. I understand Vlad isn't supposed to have the perfect life, but something that has a depressing overtone ultimately depresses the reader. But it makes up for it with the strong storyline, the suspense, and overall detail of the story. If you like Vlad, read this.
But if you're not a person who reads this series, don't read this one until you've read Yendi and/or Jhereg.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great book that only has a few flaws
Review: Teckla is undoubtedly one of Brust's best works. This takes place chronologically after Jhereg but before Phoenix. Another Jhereg mob-boss, Herth, challenges Vlad. In the midst of this, a Teckla revolt has started and Vlad's wife is involved. Vlad has to deal with a crumbling marriage and keeping himself and his wife alive throughout both the revolt and the war. There's a lot of suspense packed into this one. I mean there are parts when you think something's going to happen and then a completely unexpected, but logical, thing happens. A lot of Vlad's feelings and observations are written quite well without confusion. (i.e. any of the arguments that he and Cawti have throughout the book) So why not give this five stars? Simple. Vlad's life start to head downhill from the beginning of the story and only slightly picking up in the end. Even then, later in the series it falls a bit more until Issola. I understand Vlad isn't supposed to have the perfect life, but something that has a depressing overtone ultimately depresses the reader. But it makes up for it with the strong storyline, the suspense, and overall detail of the story. If you like Vlad, read this.
But if you're not a person who reads this series, don't read this one until you've read Yendi and/or Jhereg.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great Vlad book, but it is depressing
Review: This book has plenty of the good stuff that make Vlad books good, but when he and Cawti start to have problems it gets depressing. There is a bit of suspense and excitement that almost makes you jump at some parts. This book doesn't really have the best ending, but it makes you think things are starting to come together again. But as you read more of the series, it doesn't. I'm hoping that Cawti and Vlad can get back together later in the series, maybe even in the upcoming book ISSOLA.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great Vlad book, but it is depressing
Review: This book has plenty of the good stuff that make Vlad books good, but when he and Cawti start to have problems it gets depressing. There is a bit of suspense and excitement that almost makes you jump at some parts. This book doesn't really have the best ending, but it makes you think things are starting to come together again. But as you read more of the series, it doesn't. I'm hoping that Cawti and Vlad can get back together later in the series, maybe even in the upcoming book ISSOLA.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Who's first up against the wall when the revolution comes?
Review: Vlad Taltos, of course. Right after he almost single-handedly saves the Empire from an internecine war, our surly hero discovers just where his wife has been disappearing to in the evenings--she's been keeping company with a bunch of Easterner and Teckla insurgents who wish to break the Cycle and bring a rule of the people, by the...wait...oh yeah. Anyway, along the way Vlad discovers that his peers in House Jhereg are provoking the revolutionaries and realizes that his now-estranged wife is caught in the crossfire. This is, as has been said before, a very, VERY depressing book. So? Tough. It's a very poignant and real piece of the series, with piles to say about what can go wrong between two people. It is less witty than the other books, and at times it seems like the plot is a mere set-up for the events of Phoenix, but hey, who's complaining? Not Brust's best, but by no means his worst. (Astute readers will look for the appearance of Khaavren, the hero of the Phoenix Guards books, in the latter pages of this volume.)

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: the worst of the taltos series
Review: While this one is important for character development (both Vlad and Cawti's), it was also a pain in the arse to read. Apparently Brust himself was having marital difficulties around the time he wrote this, which he sub-consiously put into the book. The 2 strengths of these books are(at least to me) the well-rounded, likeable character of Vlad and the way the books is like a fantasy version of the Mafia. In this one the Mafia idea is not really used, and the characterization is more like something you need to know for later books than actually enjoyable to read. I read this series years ago, and this is the one that stands out least in my mind - even a friend i lent it to cried out in pain when talking about it. I only gave it an extra star for Brust, I have all his stuff and think he's (usually) a great writer. So in conclusion, I warn you, stay away from this dreck for your very sanity!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: the worst of the taltos series
Review: While this one is important for character development (both Vlad and Cawti's), it was also a pain in the arse to read. Apparently Brust himself was having marital difficulties around the time he wrote this, which he sub-consiously put into the book. The 2 strengths of these books are(at least to me) the well-rounded, likeable character of Vlad and the way the books is like a fantasy version of the Mafia. In this one the Mafia idea is not really used, and the characterization is more like something you need to know for later books than actually enjoyable to read. I read this series years ago, and this is the one that stands out least in my mind - even a friend i lent it to cried out in pain when talking about it. I only gave it an extra star for Brust, I have all his stuff and think he's (usually) a great writer. So in conclusion, I warn you, stay away from this dreck for your very sanity!


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